Boot or shoe cleaner.



PATENTED FEB. 3, 1903.

- L. 0. SMITH.

BOOT 0R SHOE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

witmooao UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

LEANDER C. SMITH, 'OF NASI'IUA, IOWA.

BOOT OR SHOE CLEANER.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,894, dated February 3, 1903.

Application filed April 7, 1902. Serial No. 101,718. (No model.)

use in removing dirt and mud from boots and shoes.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and compact structure which may be placed upon a fioor or other support and will not slip thereon when in use and which when the shoe is drawn over or through the same will quickly and thoroughly remove any mud or other dirt that may cling thereto.

The preferred construction of the invention is fully lllustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of the entire device. Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional View. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section. Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section on the line X X of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of one of the brush-carriers.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention, as shown, a base-plate 10 is employed, preferably formed of elastic sheet metal and upwardly converted, the ends of said base-plate being provided with downturned holding-teeth 11, arranged to engage a floor or other support upon which the device is placed to prevent movement of the latter, said teeth being inclined in the same direction with respect to the base-plate. Upon an intermediate portion of the baseplate is secured a transversely-disposed open-ended boxing 12, the interior of which forms a guideway, the top 13 constituting a platform which is elevated some distance above the base. rear side of this boxing and spaced therefrom is an upright wall 14:, forming a socket, the upper end of which is open and located in the same horizontal plane as the platform 13. In this socket is arranged a cleanerbrush 15, the bristles of which extend above the plane of the upper face of the platform,

Along the said brush preferably extending the length of said platform. The opposite or front side edge of the platform is provided with an upstanding scraper-fiange l6, and a guide-piece 17 connects the upper edge of this fiange and the base-plate 10, said guide-piece also constitutingabrace for the boxing and a handle by means of which the cleaner may be conveniently carried.

Within the guide-boxing 12 is slidably arranged a pair of overlapping brush-carriers 18, preferably in the form of telescoping tubular sections that are movable out of and into the opposite ends of the boxing and carry at their outer ends fingers 19, that are turned over the platform 13, the terminals of said fingers being in the form of upstanding plates 20, having inwardly-extending flanges 21,

forming seats on the opposing inner faces of said plates. In said seats are removably mounted cleaner-brushes 22, the end edges of which are constructed to fit within the inturned'fianges, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. It will thus be seen that these brushes are located above the platform 13 and are movable thereover. Suitable means are provided for moving these brushes toward each other, said means being preferably in the form of a coiled spring 23, that extends longitudinally through the inner section and has its terminals 2 L engaged in openings made in the carrier-fingers contiguous to their juncture with the telescoping sections.

In use the device is simply placed upon the floor, and the foot is first placed in front of the same, so that the heel will rest upon the guide-piece 17. Upon the rear movement of the foot the heel and sole will be guided over the scraper ledge or flange 16 and between the upright brushes 22, said brushes readily moving apart, but being held in engagement with the opposite edges of the heel and sole by the spring 23. The heavy or larger portions of the dirt which may cling to'the bottom of the sole and heel are first scraped off by the flange 16, and as the further rearward movement of the foot takes place said bottoms will come into contact with the upstanding brush 15, which will thoroughly cleanse the same. If a single passageof the shoe over the device will not sufficiently clean the same, it may be repeated once or twice, so

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that all dirt or mud which may cling to the sole or heel may be readily and thoroughly removed. The rearward movement of the device cannot take place because of the particular inclination of the holding-teeth 11, which incline toward the rear of the platform, as shown, and the weight of the foot will force these teeth in secure engagement with the surface upon which the cleaner is placed. By this construction it will be seen that an exceedingly simple device is provided which is compact and which will readily and thoroughly remove the dirt from the lower portion of a shoe or boot. The guide-piece in front of a platform will properly position the bottom of the shoe or boot to the scraperledge and the brushes, and said brushes will remain in contact with said shoe or boot until it has been passed through the cleaner.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cleaner of the class described, the combination with a platform having a guideway, of brush-carriers mounted in the guideway and arranged in overlapping relation, means for moving the carriers toward each other, and brushes secured to the carriers and located upon the platform.

2. In a cleaner of the class described, the combination with a support, of overlapping brush-carriers movably mounted upon the an inclination to the perpendicular and being furthermore inclined rearwardly to oppose resistance to the movement of the base in a rearward direction, and cleaning means supported upon the base.

4. In a cleaner of the class described, the combination with a base, of a guide-boxing secured to the base, telescoping carriers slidably mounted in the boxing, and cleaning devices secured to the carriers.

5. In a cleaner of the class described, the combination with a base, of a guide-boxing secured to the base, telescoping brush-carriers slidably mounted in the boxing and having fingers projecting from the same, brushes secured to the fingers, and means connecting the carriers for moving the brushes toward each other.

6. In a cleaner of the class described, the combination with a base, of a guide-boxing secured to the base, telescoping brush-carriers slidably mounted in the boxing and having fingers projecting from the opposite ends of the same, said fingers being inturned and located above the boxing, brushes secured to the free ends of the fingers, and a coiled spring connecting the carriers and located within the same.

7. In a cleaner of the class described, the combination with a base, of a transverselydisposed boxing arranged on the base, said boxing being provided along one side with a pocket, and cleaning means mounted on the boxing and including an upwardly-extending brush seated in the pocket.

8. In a cleaner of the class described, the combination with a base, of a boxing arranged transversely across the base and having an upstanding scraper-ledge at one edge that projects above the boxing, and a guide-piece extending from the base and connected to the upper edge of the ledge at a point intermediate its ends.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEANDER 0. SMITH.

Witnesses:

B. G. FLEMING, T. D. SMEDLEY. 

